Keeping it Within the Family
by everlovingdeer
Summary: "I dated your cousin," I reminded him yet again, with an exasperated sigh. "Not your friend but your cousin."
1. Keeping it Within the Family

I was running late. Somehow, despite the product description assuring me that it would never fail, my alarm clock _had_ failed. It simply hadn't gone off and now I was forced to run around my flat as I tried to get ready for work in time; I could _not_ be late. Miraculously I'd managed to get ready by the usual time I left the flat and was prepared to head out for the day; I'd simply just have to get something to eat on the way. Or maybe, if I really had no time, I could have something sent up to my office?

Tying the laces of my shoes, I approached the front door and saw the cluster of letters waiting to be picked up from the floor. With no choice but to take them along with me, I forced them into a haphazard pile and carried them out into the hallway. Locking the door behind me, I started to walk down the hallway toward the lift as I rifled through the pile of letters. Most of them were unimportant, things like letters from mum about one of her friend's sons that I simply _had_ to meet. But it was the final envelope that caught my attention; a wedding invitation.

For a moment I couldn't control my sigh; wedding season was already here. And just when I was getting sick of having to act as a bridesmaid.

Shoving the rest of the letters into my bag, I broke the seal at the back as I heard someone call out my name. The voice, one that greeted me every morning, was so familiar that I let my paces slow so he could fall into step beside me.

"Morning, Singleton," Weasley greeted and a quick glance in his direction told me that he was _much_ better prepared for the morning than I was. He certainly handled early mornings better than I did.

"Good morning, Weasley," I greeted back as we finally reached the lift.

He stepped forward to press the button and I took the chance to draw the invitation out from the envelope. Reading it over, I made a mental note to book some time off so I could attend the wedding. If I couldn't get the time off then the bride would _definitely_ seek me out with a few choice words.

"My invitation came this morning as well," Weasley said, startling me because of how close his voice sounded. I turned towards him, eyes widening as I realised that the nosey bastard was leaning over my shoulder to read the invitation. Not noticing my surprise, he raised his eyes to mine and smiled. "I'm friends with the bride as well."

"That's right," I murmured, taking a casual step away from him to put at least a bit more distance between us, "I forget that she was in your house."

"And sometimes _I_ forget that you're a snake," he shot back with a slight laugh as the lift finally arrived. Weasley continued to tease, without any heat "But I suppose I can't blame you when it was the hat that decided to send you to the snake pit."

"And I supposed that _I_ can't blame you when it was the hat that decided to put _you_ in the lion den."

Somehow, we were both grinning, sharing a smile and perhaps our light-hearted bantering would have continued had the people behind us not cleared their throats to remind us about the lift that was waiting. Chagrined, I lowered my head and rushed into the lift as Weasley followed behind me at a more leisurely pace. Making room for the other people, I squished into a corner and warily eyed the older man from flat 24B; he was a renowned pervert. And he seemed intent on encroaching in my personal space. Weasley, ever my savour, wedged his way in between me and decrepit, old 24B with a reassuring smile that he failed to send towards the older wizard. Not that he tried.

"I'm not surprised that Lang and Jeffers are marrying," Weasley started conversationally, voice lowered slightly so that the people around us could continue their conversation without feeling the need to eavesdrop in ours. "I feel like they've been planning this wedding since our seventh year."

"Because they have been. Honestly, I'm surprised that they managed to wait this long," I confessed with a roll of my eyes. "The four year wait must have been torture for the pair of them."

"They were busy trying to pair everyone else up," he said as if I could have forgotten. The lift came to a still for a moment, reaching the second floor where some of the crowd alighted from the lift. There was more space now but still, Weasley didn't move away from me, not that I was going to comment on that. "They think they're the best matchmakers since Cupid himself."

"Don't even remind me." Crossing my arms contemplatively, I wondered aloud, "If anyone RSVPs that they won't have a plus one to their wedding you can bet that they'll be matched up with someone during the reception. Salazar, I'm going to have to find a date."

"I'll go with you," he offered slowly without missing a beat.

Looking to him in surprise, I couldn't help but let my eyes travel across the swell of his cheeks towards those eyes that were looking earnestly down into mine. Drawing my bottom lip into my mouth for a moment, I hesitated to ask, "As friends?"

"Well," he said after a slight pause, gesturing towards the lift which had opened onto the ground floor. We both walked out, measuring our paces against each other's as Fred finally, _finally_ continued to speak, "Going as friends weren't exactly what I had in mind. But if that's what you want, sure."

Approaching the apparition point outside of the apartment complex, I asked incredulously, "You were going to take me to a wedding as our _first_ date?"

His answer was immediate. "No." My dubiously raised eyebrow was enough of an answer, "I mean it. Merlin Singleton, I was getting there but you're unnecessarily impatient."

"Whatever you say," I said with a slight laugh, preparing to part ways with him.

Quickening my paces, I prepared to join the queue that was rapidly building up before the apparition point. If I didn't hurry then I'd get stuck in the line for _ever_. But before I could move far, Fred reached out to gently take my hand in his and brought me to an instantaneous halt. Turning curiously towards him, I went to protest that I was running late but the words died on my lips at the expression he wore. It was very rare to see him looking so serious.

"You didn't answer me," he reminded me, dropping my hand and letting me return it to my side.

"Oh." For a brief moment, I swore I saw something akin to nervousness flicker across his face and it was enough to bring a smile to mine. "I'd love to be your date to the wedding."

"That's, well that's great!" he managed, trying and failing to stop his smile from growing into a full-blown, overwhelmingly beautiful grin.

* * *

Preparing to go on a date with Fred was weird. I was busy making sure to dress my best, to look my finest as if he had never seen me at my worst. Even as I stood before the mirror and turned from side to side, I couldn't help but wonder what the point was when he'd already seen me in my most gross pyjamas on the day when the building had decided to check their fire alarm and all the residents had piled out into the courtyard. If he had already seen me at my worst then why was I trying to act as if he'd hadn't witnessed the spectacle that was my bed hair?

Although as I went to open the door for Fred, I decided that getting uncharacteristically dressed up was worth it for the way he was looking at me when he saw me for the first time today. For a moment, I doubted that he was going to speak. He certainly didn't make the move to speak which was so unlike him that I was tempted to reach up to check his temperature. But then he quickly thrust the bouquet, he'd been clutching between two hands, towards me. I looked to them in surprise but accepted them with a grateful smile.

Raising them to my nose, I watched Fred with knowing eyes from over the flower bud but decided against teasing him. Just this once.

Instead, I stepped aside and to offer him entrance. "Do you want to come in? You're a bit earlier than I thought you'd be."

He took the extended lifeline, returning to his usual self with a mischievous smile as he explained, "Well I didn't want to be late; considering just how far away we live from each other."

"Honestly," I murmured, barely rolling my eyes as I ushered him finally into the flat. Fred accepted the invitation, casting curious glances around as I shut the door behind him. As I passed him on my way to the kitchen, I called out from over my shoulder, "Make yourself at home. I'm just going to put these in some water."

I left Fred to his perusal of my home and did so without a worry; not that would ever find out, but I'd given the flat a top to bottom clean in case he _did_ end up coming early. It would have to be a little longer before he discovered that I was a really a slob but today would _not_ be that day.

Walking into the kitchen, I transfigured one of my glasses into a vase and filled it halfway with some water. Opening the protective plastic that was wrapped around the bouquet, I placed the flowers into the water and picked up the vase with both hands. With a contemplative hum, I circled the room slowly as I tried to find the best place to put them. Finally deciding to leave them on the counter, under the window sill, I set them down with a satisfied smile. I admired them for a moment longer, wondering if he'd known that peonies were my favourite or if he'd made a lucky guess, before deciding to return to Fred.

But he'd beat me to it, coming into the kitchen no doubt to see what was keeping me so long. The apologies were on the tip of my tongue but there was something about the way he was looking at me that made me swallow them abruptly.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked quietly, warming pleasantly under the comforting weight of his eyes. When he didn't answer me right away, I prompted, "Fred?"

"In a little bit," he evaded, walking into the room and my eyes tracked his progress as he continued to approach me.

Only, I didn't know why he was doing so. He certainly wasn't studying the kitchen, he wasn't looking to see where I had put his flowers. No, he was approaching me with a gentle smile. Finally closing the space between us, he came so close that our shoes touched. Tilting my head back to look at him with a probing smile, it slowly left my face when he brought a single hand up to cover the side of my neck, his thumb brushing softly, repeatedly over the swell of my cheek.

"Fred?" I repeated again, nothing more than a whisper that was lost between us when he chose to lower his head towards me in the next instant. Easily returning his kiss, I found myself rising to my toes to ease the strain on my neck but only for a moment before he drew away. Salazar, his smile alone was magic. "Impatient?"

"Very," he said back, smile widening. He lowered his head again for a moment, only to brush the tip of his nose against my own. "I've been waiting to do that since you moved in down the hall."

"Almost two years," I said, knowing I sounded vaguely impressed. "That's quite a lot of restraint, Weasley."

"Believe me," he started slowly, already leaning down to kiss me again. "It was _not_ easy."

But before his lips could make contact with mine again, before I could give into him again, I ducked out from under his arms and put as much space between us as I could. It took a moment to realise what had happened but then Fred was turning slowly towards me, looking at me for an explanation. He wasn't offended, no – there was a smile curling around the corners of his mouth. I imagined that it rather mirrored the one I knew I was wearing.

"If I let you kiss me again, I don't think we'll stop," I defended, continuing my retreat out of the room. He followed me step for step. "And then we'll end up missing our reservation. Any more kissing can wait until after I've filled my stomach."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he warned, grabbing his coat from where he'd thrown it over the back of the sofa.

"I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

During the entirety of our seventh year at Hogwarts Lang had considered every single detail about what her wedding to her now fiancé would be like. It would happen in the summer, in the middle of the English countryside in a Manor house with picturesque scenery surrounding it and her dress would have a train that was the longest anyone had ever seen. She had always seemed so firm about the picture she'd painted in her head for her fantasy wedding that all of her friends had known what to expect when it came to this wedding. Merlin, we were all even making arrangements for how we would help her to get in and out of the show car she wanted to escort her to and from the venue. Everything was planned. Or so we thought.

A destination wedding, one in Aruba had completely blown that plan out of the water, leaving all the bridesmaids scrambling as our carefully planned roles were thrown in the air. We'd have to re-plan everything.

Whilst there was no English countryside but we had all the sun we could want. Of course, it was a bit of an unplanned holiday so I wasn't complaining. Even the hotel Fred and I were staying in was beautiful and it felt so much like a holiday that I almost forgot that tomorrow we were supposed to be attending a wedding.

I was too busy soaking up the sun that England was missing at this time of the year and laid on chaise longue, to think of the looming ceremony. Spending a couple of hours poolside as I caught up on the book that Cherise had recommended to me didn't seem like a bad way to spend the afternoon. Not that Fred would share the sentiment.

From the moment the pair of us had agreed to spend a lazy day in the hotel today, to take a break from the excursions we'd been going on since our arrival, he had immediately headed for the pool. For the last few hours, he'd kept swimming back towards me to try and coax me into the swimming pool to join him. He'd failed each time.

Fred gave another call of my name. I reacted as I did each time, peering at him from over the top of my open book. It was fairly obvious that he was going to try to get me to join him again. But he proved me wrong. Hauling himself out of the pool, Fred approached me and sat down on the chair beside my own. Picking up the towel he'd dropped onto the seat, he started to towel dry his hair and arms.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, brows raised when I realised the way he was looking at me.

"Yeah, my girlfriend is insane." He gestured to the book which I'd bookmarked and set aside, "We've got a beautiful pool in here and you're going to ignore that to read a book? Are you aware that right now, back home, it's probably raining? And that weather is probably gross? Why not make the most of it?"

"I _am_ making the most of it," I insisted with a smile.

Fred simply shook his head slowly like he couldn't understand me. But he didn't comment on it again. Instead, he tossed the towel aside again and rose to his full height. My eyes followed his rise, squinting slightly against the glare of the sun as I watched him adjust his swimming trunks so they were tied securely around his hips.

"You honestly left me no other choice, love," he warned and before I could ask him what the hell he was going on about now, he ducked down suddenly.

One arm dove beneath my knees and the other went around my shoulder, holding me to his chest even as I protested with a shriek. I struggled against him but he lifted me still and I could do nothing more than give up my struggling and wrap my arms around his shoulders lest I fall. He turned toward the pool –

"Don't you dare, Weasley," I warned slowly.

He simply turned to look at me with an innocent smile, "You even wore your swimsuit today. It would be a shame to waste it."

"Fred," I started panickily as he took a slow step towards the pool, "I swear to Merlin, if you do this, I will lock you out of our room."

The threat didn't have the effect I wanted. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make it worth it."

And just like that, he was running towards the pool, completely ignoring the lifeguard's warnings. I gave up protesting and instead scrunched my eyes shut as I clung to him for life. He was in _so_ much trouble –

I felt him jump and then we were underwater but only for a second or two. We emerged again and Fred adjusted his hold on me so his arms were around my waist and holding me up because my feet couldn't reach the bottom. Pushing my soaked hair out of my eyes, I met his puppy eyes with a narrow-eyed glare. I opened my mouth, preparing to give him the rebuking of the century when he surged forward to kiss me to rid me of any thoughts of locking him out tonight. It didn't work almost as well as the scandalised gasps coming from the muggles beside us did.

When Fred drew away with an innocent smile, I glanced curiously to the muggle couple beside us who were grumbling to each other. One thing I'd realised was that dating Fred had made me rather … mischievous. So really it wasn't my fault that I wanted to scandalise them even further.

I did one quick scope of the poolside and noticing that there were no young impressionable kids around, I wrapped my own arms around Fred's shoulder and drew him back towards me. He, no doubt reading my eyes, came easily back towards me and met me more than halfway as I drew him back towards me for a much deeper kiss.

* * *

Even if the wedding had taken place in a location that no one would have imagined, the rest of it was certainly as planned. Absolutely nothing went wrong, the entire ceremony ran so smoothly that on my way to the reception I heard some guests commenting about wanting to inquire about the wedding planner the couple had hired. I was tempted to but in to tell them that the couple _hadn't_ hired a wedding planner and really, they had no need to – not when they had been planning this day for years now. Surely that was more than enough time to make sure that even the smallest detail was perfect.

Fred, who walked with my arm linked through his, patted my hand as if to get my attention. I glanced towards him instantly, returning the smile he sent my way. "Did you hear a word of what I said?"

"No," I admitted chagrined. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I don't think I'm ready to head back home just yet. Do you think you'd be able to get another week of work?" He gave me his most dashing smile, leaning down to drop a kiss to my forehead as we walked into the hall that the couple had done up for their reception. "Please?"

"You're just saying that because you know that when you get home, you'll have to work on that contagious laughter potion that hasn't been working out well," I said knowingly as we walked around the tables, looking for our seats.

"I've been working on that for almost a month now," he grumbled more to himself than to me.

"And I keep telling you to speak your father," I reminded him, casting a curious glance around the room. We had almost been late to the ceremony because _someone_ had insisted on hanging in bed for longer and wouldn't let me up until he'd got enough cuddles to tide him by and because we'd arrived _just_ before the ceremony began, I hadn't managed to get a look at the rest of the guests.

Salazar, I wish I hadn't been so curious. Because across the room, talking to one of his old housemates was James bloody Potter. Of course, it made sense for James freaking Sirius Potter to be here when he had been housemates with the bride but still – still did why did fate hate me so much to make me attend the same wedding as my ex-boyfriend?

And now that I thought about it … hadn't James and Fred been in the same house? And the same year at that?

Salazar's fucking damned soul; this was _too much_. All that was left was for me to think of a way to navigate my way around this situation so that Fred and James didn't see each other. But first things first, I needed to make sure that Fred didn't know that something was wrong with me. Only I clearly wasn't doing as good a job as I wanted to if the way Fred settled me down on a chair and reached out to take my hand was any indicator. His eyes, earnest and searching, stared into my own as he went to take his own seat.

"Freddie!" _Salazar,_ I had been so close!

Although I feared the outcome, I raised my eyes past Fred's shoulder towards where James Potter was busy bounding up towards us. And Fred, realising that my attention was no longer on him, followed my eyes and then he was on his feet and embracing his fellow Gryffindor. Worrying my bottom lip between my teeth, I listened as the two friends caught up and as their conversation continued on, I realised with a slightly sick feeling that the pair were more than friends. Merlin, they were _family_.

I needed a drink. A strong one at that.

Surveying that table, I frowned when I realised that there was nothing alcoholic on the table and barely concealed a scowl. Although, when I read the nameplate of the person that was supposed to be seated next to me, I didn't try to; Lang – now Jeffers was going to get a strict telling off. But it was gone the moment I felt a hand grasp my shoulder.

"Are you alright, love?" Regaining my composure, I met Fred's eyes but couldn't help but look past his shoulder towards James who had finally recognised me. And I had to give it to him, he was certainly doing a good job of hiding his expression.

"I just need a drink," I managed through parched lips and Fred nodded instantly, pressing another kiss to my forehead before excusing himself to head towards the bar. Just like that, I was left alone with my ex-boyfriend who was watching me intensively from where he was sitting. I could have prolonged the wait but I wouldn't. Instead, I forced myself to raise my eyes to his and spoke slowly, "Your seat was placed right next to me."

"We'd have met anyway," he murmured to himself, saying aloud what I had been saying to myself. My eyes followed him as he walked around me to take his seat. He continued to look at me for a moment before reaching up to loosen the tie around his neck. "So, you're Freddie's girlfriend, then?"

"And you're his _cousin_ ," I said slowly, knowing that my disbelief was evident. "He didn't mention anything about that."

"You didn't already know?" he asked instantly, eyes narrowed slightly. "That we're related?"

"Not everyone is obsessed about knowing the members of your family." Pursing my lips, I did my best not to scowl at Fred's _cousin_. But really, he was asking for it by being so self-obsessed. Eventually, I dropped my shoulders and asked quietly, "Does he know?"

"Honestly I have no clue." James shook his head for a moment, "But if he did know and still asked you out, then he must really like you."

"In case he doesn't know," I murmured, glancing over my shoulder to find that Fred was returning to the table with drinks for all of us in his hands. "Neither of us should mention it."

"That's fine with me," James insisted but still I couldn't look at him.

I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from Fred who, I realised when he drew closer, was looking between James and me with knowing eyes. There was really no need for either of us to be making such promises; even from his eyes, I could tell that he already knew everything.

* * *

Once the reception had started to fizzle out, when the guests had started to slowly one by one return to their hotel rooms, I was quick to do the same. Of course, I had gained some having a headache and assured Fred that he could hang around to talk to his … cousin and catch up. He tried to protest, insisting that he would walk me up but then I was already walking away from him and navigating my back to the hotel. I just needed some time to clear my head.

Was I angry? Not really. But I was just … it was hard to give it a name. A large part of me was embarrassed, that Fred had complete knowledge of my past with his cousin and yet he hadn't seemed to feel it necessary to let me know that he knew. Unless he'd assumed that I'd always known of the relationship he shared with James Potter? Salazar, I just needed the time to think, to get things straightened out in my head.

Fred, likely knowing that, took his time to come up to our room. By the time he decided to turn in for the night, I was already dressed in my pyjamas and was sitting in bed, back pressed against the headboard as I waited for him. He walked into the room, shutting the door behind him but hesitating in the doorway when he met my it became obvious that neither of us was going to be the first to pierce this uncertain silence that lengthened between us, I took the dive. "You knew."

It wasn't an accusation. It was just a simple statement, one that I didn't really need an answer to. But he gave me one anyway.

"I did," he agreed, working on undoing his tie and walking further into the room. "And I, I knew you didn't know but I didn't want to risk bringing it up. In case –"

"In case," I prompted, tracing his steps with my eyes. Fred crossed the room slowly, coming towards me and sitting on the bed a short distance away from me.

"In case you'd end up breaking up with me." Even as he reached out to put his hand over the back of mine, he couldn't bring himself to meet my eyes.

"As if I would break up with you over James Potter," I said with a sigh, turning my hand around so I could entwine our fingers together. "It's just so bloody embarrassing, isn't it?"

Fred, finally able to meet my eyes, stared at me in disbelief. "Are you being – _what_? What do you have to be embarrassed about?"

"I dated your cousin!"

"I'm aware," he assured me steadily. "I still don't get what there is to be embarrassed about."

"I dated your _cousin_ ," I reminded him yet again, with an exasperated sigh. "Not your friend but your cousin."

"A cousin who happens to be my best friend," he tried to get away with a sweet smile. I shook my head with a reluctant smile that only grew, even more, when he leaned towards me to press his forehead against my temple. "Love, if it helps with anything, I happen to think that James is a right idiot."

"And I agree with you," I assured him, turning my face towards him to brush my nose against his. "Is it for any reason in particular?"

"Because he let you go," he confessed quietly, pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth before straightening up again. Even though our conversation had been relatively light-hearted, his eyes changed, growing more serious right before me. "You wanted to date me before you found out that I was related to James and now what? You'd end our relationship because of that?"

"Of course not," I insisted again. "But I can't help but be affected by it."

"Don't be." He was resolute, reaching out to grasp my face in his hands. Fred lowered his head to kiss me and I returned it instantly. When he drew back, Fred spoke earnestly. "Don't be affected by it because it means nothing to me. All I want is to be with you."

"Me too," I said just as earnestly, reaching out to hold his face as tenderly as he was holding my own. We shared a brief smile. "Me too."


	2. Epilogue: 1 Year Later

_1 YEAR LATER_

This was without a shadow of the doubt, the most awkward dinner of my life. And when I took a moment to actually remember just how awkward moments I'd had; the statement still rang true. Joining my boyfriend's ridiculously large extended family for their weekly family dinner was far more awkward than the time I accidentally walked in on my parents _celebrating_ their anniversary. There was no convincing me otherwise.

Of course, it was my own damn fault. I'd known just how awkward this nightmare of dinner would be and yet I'd still agreed to come along. Well, that was only after Fred had spent the better part of a year trying to convince me to join him. So really, if I considered things for a moment, it was quite obviously Fred's fault. Fred and his damn puppy dog eyes. I shouldn't have fallen weak, I should have fortified my nerve against him and yet here I was, sitting across from two of his cousins – Albus and Louis – as they spoke between themselves about Mrs Potter's new gig as a Sports Correspondent for the Daily Prophet.

The same Mrs Potter that I'd been introduced to years ago as her son's girlfriend – thankfully she was the only member of the Potter family that I had been introduced to. There was no questioning it, meeting her again and being introduced this time as her nephew's girlfriend had been more than a little horrifying. But then she had just given me this small smile before moving swiftly on.

I knew that I was probably the sole cause behind a rather large portion of my anxiety but I couldn't help it. For some stupid reason, I felt like a criminal, like Fred's family thought of me as some scarlet woman who was making her way through the men of the family. If they _did_ think of me like that, they certainly had the manners not to say it to my face. I could be thankful for the at least.

Fred had been my constant companion from the moment we'd set foot in 'The Burrow' and whilst at first, I had been more thankful than words could describe knowing that I had his support, my thoughts soon changed. The arm he perpetually had around my waist, the kisses he continued to pepper to my hands, my cheeks, my forehead were prompting rather scary thoughts in his grandmother's head. She was already talking about adding me to the family clock – whatever that meant. And when I asked Fred about it, he simply chuckled quietly and assured me that I would find out in time.

The arm around my shoulder squeezed me gently for a moment as I sat listening as Rose suddenly walked into the room and decided that she needed to 'beat a lesson into Albus's thick skull to get it to stick'. Although I tried to pay attention to what I was assured was a regular squabble between Rose and Albus, I found myself paying attention to the way Fred was leaning in towards me; he was going to kiss me again. Only this time before he could, I shuffled slightly away from him and completely ignored the perturbed frown he threw towards me.

"Leave the poor girl alone," his father demanded suddenly, following his brothers out into the garden as they murmured something about gnomes and explosions – I dared not to ask. Meeting my eyes, Fred's father gave me a reassuring wink, "Don't worry, I'll take him off of your hands for a while – stop him from pawing at you."

Fred started to protest instantly. "Dad –"

"That would be great," I said with a smile that had Fred protesting even more but only until his father crossed the room towards the sofa we were sharing. Fred paid his father no mind and instead continued to pester me about whether I thought he was _pawing_ at me, like his father had declared.

"Come along, boy," his father insisted, reaching out to grasp him by the sleeve and forcing him to his feet.

Fred, all 6 foot something of him, continued to protest and struggle but he was no match for his father. As he was dragged out of the room, he threw a final pout at me from over his shoulder and I simply responded with a blowing a kiss towards him. My eyes continued to follow the father-son duo, completely missing Rose as she tackled Albus to the floor, all while Albus screamed at the top of his lungs that he wouldn't hurt a girl. Rose, in turn, demanded he face her like a man.

"James," Mr Weasley called out, now grabbing Fred by the ear when he tried to break free. He stopped in the doorway, looking to his nephew, "Are you going to join us in the garden? We've found a rather fun way to get rid of the gnomes this year."

"In a minute," James assured, stepping out of the way and letting his uncle pass.

When Fred reached out to him for help, James simply stuck his tongue out childishly in response. For a moment longer, he continued to watch as the two Weasleys retreated towards the back garden and then he was looking around the room. The way his eyes bypassed the squabble his brother was having with Rose – one that looked rather one-sided in all honesty – I could tell that it was a regular occurrence. His eyes continued to look around the room until they settled on me and then they narrowed playfully as he pointed a finger towards me as if ordering me to remain seated.

I watched his approach with narrowed eyes but remained seated, nonetheless. James took the seat Fred had forcefully been removed from and turned expectantly towards me. For a moment I watched him silently, brows raised curiously and waiting for whatever it was he wanted to say to me.

"Awkward isn't it?" he started eventually, shooting me a knowing smile. "Being around my family?"

"The most awkward thing ever," I said truthfully with a relieved sigh; it was the first time that I had admitted it aloud since entering the Burrow. Just saying the words certainly felt like a weight had been released from my chest.

"Well keep your chin up," he said moving to shuck my chin but catching himself halfway through the motion with a sheepish smile. "It'll get less awkward eventually."

"Salazar, I hope you're right."

James glanced around the room before leaning slowly towards me. He spoke in a lowered voice, "Just so you know, Fred's mum used to date our Uncle Fred – before he, _you know_. So, if anything, our family is used to this."


End file.
